Peter Raisanen, nutritional sciences senior, is the 25-year-old who was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries on Tuesday after being hit by a streetlight.

The 19-year-old driver of a maroon Jeep Cherokee was heading east on Sixth Street approaching Highland Avenue. There was a green traffic light for cars traveling from east to west, and one vehicle was attempting to turn south onto Highland Avenue, said Sgt. David Fernandez, a Tucson Police Department officer who was at the scene of the accident.

The vehicle stopped in the middle of the road as pedestrians were walking in the crosswalk. The Cherokee went onto the sidewalk and hit a pole in an attempt to avoid hitting the stopped vehicle. The Cherokee knocked the pole over, and it hit Raisanen.

Raisanen has four crushed vertebrae and broken ribs. He is expected to leave the hospital in a day or two and continue his care at home. Doctors suspect he will make a full recovery, though he will not continue classes this semester. 

The driver went to the hospital and visited Raisanen.

“”I’m happy that the man, young lad, who hit the post came and talked to me,”” Raisanen said. “”He’s a very sincere young gentleman.””

Check back tonight and in the paper tomorrow for the full story.